Vending machine



Feb. 19, 1935. M. EPSTEIN 1,991,736

VENDING MACHINE Filed March 8, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 72 50 16 l I I I all e2 "i n 'II I I w 66 12 sl I J 63 Patented Feb. 19, 1935 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a vending machine,

and more particularly to one which will deliver' goods when operatedwith a coin.

One object of my invention is to provide a device in the operation ofwhich a coin is indispensable.

Another object is to make the construction such that the actuatingmovement must be completed and the parts return to normal positionbefore any goods can be secured from the machine by the person insertingthe coin.

Still another object is to provide such a simple construction andarrangement of parts that the machine can be quickly assembled by alayman, already to be operated, can be refilled and the coins removed inquick order, and the cost of production of which is relatively small.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of theinvention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction,combination and arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by thedrawings. {The nature of the invention is such as to render itsusceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I amnot to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawings; but amentitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of myclaims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machine, looking towards thecoinslot.

Figure 2 is another side elevation, partly broken away, showing how thefeed gate is movably held in position.

Figure 3 is a section illustrating part of the coin operating devicewith the coin inserted, already for actuation.

. Figure 4 is a-detail section showing how the supply container isfastened to the coin opere ating device.

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Figure 2, illustratingdetails of my coin operating device, and coin receptacle, the supplycontainer being shown broken away.

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 .of Figure 1, illustratingother details of my coin operating device, showing the coin receptacle,partly in section, the supply container being shown broken away.

. Figure 7 is a plan section taken on line '7-'7 of Figure 5,illustrating the coin operating mechanism in normal position, with acoin inserted, already to be operated.

Figure 8 is a section the same as Figure '7, illustrating the coinoperating mechanism while being actuated, the operation not having beencompleted.

Figure 9 is a section the same as Figure '7, illustrating the coinoperating mechanism at the completion of the movement, which releasesthe goods; to be supplied, into the delivery trough.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view illustrating how the coin slot is formedbetween the coin operating device and the skirt on the supply container,by mere assembly oi'the parts.

As illustrated my vending machine has an outside casing or housing 12,extending from the top to the bottom, which houses the supply of peanutsor other goods as well as the coins, and also the coin operating device.A supply con tainer 13 is usually made of glass or some othertransparent material, and, as shown, has a flange 14 at the bottomaround which is an insulating strip 15 and an outside skirt 16 whichextends below the bottom of said supply container 13. An oifset portion16a is formed in said skirt 16, having an opening 16b, one side of whichforms a coin slot 61, later described. There are recesses 17 in saidskirt 16, and spring fastening members 18 are attached to said skirt byscrews 19,

. which members 18 extend inside and bear against the walls of coinreceptacle 22, later described, when the machine is assembled.

A coin operating device 20 is separable from the other parts, and ispositioned between said supply container 13 and a coin receptacle 22,into which the coins pass when the machine is operated. Said coinreceptacle 22 has a boss 23 extending from the bottom in which ashoulder 24 is formed against which a nut 25 abuts when the machine isassembled. It has an opening 26 in the side for the feed trough 53 ofthe coin operating device, later described, and a recess 27 in whichpart of the slot projecting member 60, later described, extends. Withinsaid receptacle 22 ribs 29 are formed in the side thereof, on the top ofwhich the coin operating device 20 rests whenthe machine is assembled. Apair of upstanding members 30, integral with said receptacle 22, extendabove the top and fit into the recesses 1'7 made in the skirt 16, whichprevent rotation of said coin receptacle 22 when the parts areassembled.

A post 32 connects the coin receptacle 22 with the coin operating device20. Said post 32 has a reduced top portion 33 in which a hole 34 istapped, said reduced top portion forming a shoulcasting 47, laterdescribed, of said'coin operating 5 with said coin receptacle 22, said.nut 25 abutting against the shoulder 24 of said coin receptacle. Thereis a tension spring 40 around said post 32, one end being inserted in ahole in the post, as

at 41, and the other end being secured as at 42 to a portion of theactuating lever 50, later described.

The coin operating device 20 consists of three main parts, namely, abottom or base casting 45 which seats on the shoulder 35 of the post 32,a middle casting 46 which serves as a carrier of the goods which arevended, which is mounted on and freely rotatable on said bushing 36, anda top or feeder casting 47, which is fixed to said post 32 by the screw37. An actuating lever 50 extends into said coin operating device 20,and is rotatably attached'as at 51 to said postv 32, one end of saidtension spring 40 being inserted into said lever 50, whereby the tensionof said spring 40 serves to hold said lever in its normal position shownin Figure '7 of the drawings, and returns it automatically to thatposition after said lever has been actuated to delivery position. Saidlever 50 has an integral handle 52 by which it is actuated.

Said bottom 45 has a trough or chute 53 into which the peanuts or othergoods pass before being delivered to the purchaser, the cubic capacityof this chute determining the quantity ofpeanuts to be delivered at onetime. A feed gate 54 closes said chute 53, and the peanuts fall out intothe hands of a customer after lifting said gate. The gate cannot belifted, however, to get the peanuts, while the actuating lever 50 isbeing moved; but can be lifted as soon as said lever 50 returns tonormal position. This locking of said gate 54 prevents draining of thewhole supply of peanuts at one time. Said gate 54 has a tongue 55 at itstop end'which extends above the trough, and when said carrier or middlecasting 46 is actuated it is moved behind said tongue 55 therebypreventing any lifting of the gate during actuation of the carrier 46.Said gate 54 has lugs 56 on each side which pivotally fit into recesses57 made in said bottom 45 on each side of said chute 53. Integral withsaid bottom 45 and projecting outwardly is a slot member or casting 60which defines part ofthe coin slot 61, in which the coin 62 is insertedto operate my machine. That part of said skirt 16 to the right of saidslot member 60 forms a guide for said coin 62 and defines the right sideof said slot 61, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. The mereassembly of said skirt 16 with said coin operating device 20, forms thisslot 61, this being illustrated in Figure 10 of the drawings, showingthe two in positionto be assembled. The 'slot member 60 extends intosaid opening 165 with its top abutting against the portion of said skirt16 above said opening 16b when assembled, as illustrated in Figure 1 ofthe drawings. It will be noticed that the lower portion of said slotmember 60 is wider, there being an extension 63 which defines the bottomof said slot '61, At the left of said slot member 60 andintegral withsaid bottom 45 a stop member 64 is formed which limits the movement ofsaid actuating lever 50, when said lever handle 52 comes into contactwith it. The top casting 4'7.

' j= rests on'the top of this stop member 64.

Said bottom 45 has a ring-like raised center portion 65 which has a boss66 formed at the top said coin passage '78.

on which said carrier 46 rests. In the side of said raised centerportion 65 a portion is cut out as at 6'7, into which cut-out portionsaid lever 50 extends and in which it moves. Extending from said raisedcenter portion 65 is a hooked arm '70. which has a stop piece 71 formedat the corner of the hook in said arm '70, which stop piece is integralwith said bottom 45. Between said stop piece 71 and said lever 50 is aspace '72 large enough to receive an actuating lug 86 on said carrier,later described. It will be seen that said as at 74 just beforesaidescape slot '73 to enable.

any slugs or coins lying on said bottom 45 to slide out through saidescape slot. Beyond said lever 50 and opposite said cut-out portion 67teeth 76 are formed in said bottom 45 which are grooved or dipped as at7'7,'which teeth will prevent any backward movement of said coin 62.Beyond said teeth 76 a coin passage 78 is formed in said bottom 45through which the coin 62 drops into said coin receptacle 22. This coinpassage '78 is located at the end of the movement of said lever 50, sothat when the lever 50 strikes against said stop member 64, the coin isin a position Said carrier or middle casting 46 has a hole '81 in thecenter through which said bushing 36 loosely extends, and it also has anopening or pocket 82 running clear through said casting 46 into whichthe peanuts pass. Said pocket 82 is always full so long as there is asupply oi peanuts in said container 13, and when said carrier 46 isrotatedto delivery position said pocket 82 registers with' said chute ortrough .53 as illustrated in Figure 9 of the drawings,

opening of said gate 54 as any attempt to lift it causes said tongue 55to contact with said ,wall 84, thereby preventing the downward movementnecessary for said gate 54 to rise and open. This prevents any deliveryof peanuts to the customer until the actuating lever 50 returns to noposition, whereupon the peanuts in said trough, 53 .drop out when saidgate 54 is lifted. Integral with said carrier 46 and extendingdownwardly is a stop member 86 which projects into said space 72 therebyabutting against said stop piece 71 when in normal position. At one sideof said stop member 86 and spaced apart are side lugs 8'7 which form thesides for-said coin slot 61, to the rear 01 which lugs 87 is a back wall89, which constitutes the dead end 01 said coin slot 61, there being asmall portion cut-out as at 90 into which the coin 62 enters when it isinserted into my machine. The coin '62 when inserted in the slot 61rests on the bottom 45, and should it be too small or, otherwiseunsuitable it will fall flat and slide down the inclined to drop through5 surface 74 out through the escape slot '73 into the coin receptacle22. If it is the correct size it remains upright with the actuatinglever 50 at one side of it, and is between the two side lugs 87 whichare part of said carrier 46, so that when the lever 50 is moved itpushes the coin 62 along with it, and pressure of the coin 62 againstone ofthe side lugs 87 forces the carrier 46 to rotate to deliveryposition. The starting position is illustrated in Figure 7 of thedrawings, while a midway position is shownin Figure 8, and completion ofthe movement in Figure 9 showing the coin ready to fall into the coinpassage 78 on its way to the coin receptacle 22, with the pocket ofpeanuts 82 in register with the trough 53 into which they drop. In thisposition, however, the gate 54 cannot be lifted because the outside wall84 of said pocket 82 will not permit said gate to be lifted. As soon asthe lever handle 52 is released, however, the tension of the spring 40automatically returns said lever 50 to normal position, and the gate54-may be lifted whereby the peanuts fall out of the trough 53 into thehands of a customer.

The top or feeder casting 4'? has a hole 92 in the center through whichthe screw 37 passes into the post 32 to thereby hold said feeder 47 inplace. The top surfacebf said feeder 47 inclines downwardly from theoutside as at 93 towards the delivery opening 94 so that the peanutswill automatically slide towards and. into said opening 94. Said feeder47 has a downwardly extending portion 95 which is just above the trough53,- and which has lugs 96 on each side extending beyond it toward therecesses 57 to thereby form the upper part of the bearings in which thelugs 56 on the gate 54 movably fit or rotate.

To supply my machine with goods or peanuts, and assemble it, the supplycontainer 13 is filled with peanuts, the outside skirt 16 being inpositionaround the bottom of said container. The coin operating device-20 is inserted into said skirt 16 with a portion extending below it, theslot casting 60 being inserted into the opening 16b in said skirt, sothat themere fitting together of these parts forms the coin slot 61. Thespring fastening members 18 catch against the bottom of said coinoperating device 20 as illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings. Theparts assembled are placed in the coin receptacle 22 with the springfastening members 18 inside the receptacle. with the trough 53 extendinginto the opening 26 in the coin receptacle. The nut 25 is screwed ontothe post 32 at the bottom and my machine is assembled, ready to beoperated.

Upon insertion of a coin 62 in the coin slot 61 and actuation of thelever 50 by moving the handle 52, the carrier 46 is moved to the rightand the peanuts in the pocket 82 formed in said carrier, are moved to apoint just above the trough 53 into which they immediately pass, and assoon as the lever 50 returns to normal position the gate 54 may belifted and the peanuts drop out of the trough into the hands of thecustomer. The details of operation of .thecoin operating device havepreviously been explained.

To remove the coins from the coin receptacle 22 the nut 25 is unscrewedand the receptacle withdrawn, and likewise the coin operating device 20is withdrawn from the skirt 16 in order to fill the supply container 13again.

What I claim is: v I I 1. A vending machine comprising a supply anddelivery means embodying a carrier adapted to carry goods, a trough intowhich said goods are adapted to pass from said carrier, a gate for saidtrough embodying a portion projecting above said trough, said gateprojecting portion being so positioned with respect to a portion of saidcarrier that actuation of said carrier brings it adjacent saidprojecting portion and thereby prevents said gate from being openeduntil said carrier returns to normal position.

2. A vending machine comprising in combination a supply receptacle, acoin operating device having a slot adapted to receive a coin, andadapted to be actuated by said coin, an actuating lever, and a coinreceptacle, said device embodying a bottom, a carrier having a deliveryopening therein adapted to receive goods from said supply receptacle,and a top having an opening larger than said delivery opening adapted toreceive goods from said supply receptacle, a trough having an opening toreceive goods from said carrier,

means to control the delivery of goods from said trough, said openingsin said carrier, top'and said trough being so positioned that they arein alinement with each other when said carrier is moved to deliveryposition, said carrier and said lever 3. A vending'machine comprising incombination, a supply receptacle, 2. coin operating device having a slotadapted to receive a coin, and

adapted to be actuated by said co'ln an actuating lever, and a coinreceptacle, said device embodying a carrier having a delivery openingtherein adapted to receive goods from said supply receptacle, a troughinto which said. goods are adapted to passwhen said carrier is actuatedto delivery position, a gate for said trough embodying a portionprojecting into said device, said gate projecting portion being sopositioned with respect to a portion of said carrier that actuation ofsaid carrier brings, it adjacent said projecting portion to therebyprevent said gate from being opened until said carrier returns tonormalposition, said carrier and said lever being so positioned withrespect to each other and to said slot that actuation of said lever whena coin is in said slot moves said carrier, whereby said opening in saidcarrier may be moved to delivery position. l. A vending machinecomprising in combination, a supply receptacle, a coin operating devicehaving a ,slot adapted to receive a coin; and adapted to be actuated bysaid coin, an actuating lever, and a coin receptacle, said deviceembodying a carrier having walls spaced apart defining a deliveryopening therein adapted to receive goods from said supply receptacle, atrough into which said goods are adapted to pass when said carrier isactuated to delivery position, a gate for said trough embodying atongue, said gate being so positioned with respect to one of said wallsthat actuation of said carrier moves said wall adjacent saidtongue tothereby prevent said gate from being opened until said carrier returnsto normal position, said carrier and said lever being so positioned withrespect to each other and to said slot that actuation of said lever whena coin is in said slot moves said carrier, whereby said opening in saidcarrier may be moved to delivery position.

5. A vending machine comprising in combina- 'tion a supply receptacle, acoin operating device adapted to be actuated by said coin, an actuatinglever, and a coin receptacle, a post connect ing said device and saidcoin receptacle, said lever being rotatably attached to said post, saiddevice embodying a bottom having a raised portion in the center, throughwhich said post extends, said raised portion having a cut out portion inthe side through which said actuating lever extends and in which itmoves when actuated, a carrier mounted on said post and resting on saidraised portion having a delivery opening therein adapted to receivegoods from said supply receptacle, and a top mounted on said post havingan opening in register with said delivery opening adapted to receivegoods from said supply receptacle, said carrier and said lever being sopositioned with respect to each other and to said slot that actuation ofsaid lever when a coin is in said slot moves said carrier, whereby saidopening in said carrier may be moved to delivery position.

6. A vending machine comprising in combination a supply receptacle, acoin operating device having a slot adapted to receive a coin, andadapted to be actuated by said coin, an actuating lever extending intosaid device, and a coin receptacle, said device embodying a bottomhaving an arm extending from the center towards the outside edge andthen having a bend therein extioned with respect to each other and tosaid slot that actuation of said lever when a coin is in said slot movessaid carrier, whereby said opening in said carrier may be moved todelivery position.

- 7. A vending machine comprising in combination a supply receptacle, askirt outside of said receptacle having an opening therein, a coinoperating device having a slot adapted to receive a coin, and adapted tobe actuated by said coin, an actuating lever, and a coin receptacle,said device embodying a projecting slot member which extends into saidopening in said skirt, said slot member and said opening being so formedthat when assembled a space is left between one side of' said openingand one side of said slot member whereby a coin slot is formed. I

MORRIS EPS'I'EIN.

